Transcript:

You don’t have to be a senator to make a difference. All you have to do is care. And I would hope that . . . And this is something which is enormously inspiring now, because when I go to schools and colleges, I find so many of the young people wanna be involved in helping to solve the problems – maybe not running for elected office, but trying to solve the problems. We’ve seen that in national magazines in recent times. And one of the very, very important parts of an education bill that we have just passed in the House and Senate, and the President will sign, will be loan forgiveness for students who generally have $20,000 of indebtedness when they graduate – some much more. But it will be loan forgiveness for those that wanna be involved in working in their community to help solve the problems. It may be as a teacher. It may be as a nurse. It may be as a prosecutor. It may be as a legal defender. It may be as a childcare worker. It may be working with special needs children. It may be working on an Indian reservation. We’ve been very broad in terms of what we have defined in that to try to say to the young people in this country, you know, if you’re a person that is able to get admission to a school and college, cost should not be the barrier for it. And when you graduate, debt should not be a barrier for your ability to make a contribution to the country, to give something back to the community for all that it has given to you, and for something to give back to the nation. That kind of spirit is alive and well. It gets back to your earlier question about the state of our democracy. As long as that kind of spirit is out there, this country will be safe and secure.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript: You don’t have to be a senator to make a difference. All you have to do is care. And I would hope that . . . And this is something which is enormously inspiring now, because when I go to schools and colleges, I find so many of the young people wanna be involved in helping to solve the problems – maybe not running for elected office, but trying to solve the problems. We’ve seen that in national magazines in recent times. And one of the very, very important parts of an education bill that we have just passed in the House and Senate, and the President will sign, will be loan forgiveness for students who generally have $20,000 of indebtedness when they graduate – some much more. But it will be loan forgiveness for those that wanna be involved in working in their community to help solve the problems. It may be as a teacher. It may be as a nurse. It may be as a prosecutor. It may be as a legal defender. It may be as a childcare worker. It may be working with special needs children. It may be working on an Indian reservation. We’ve been very broad in terms of what we have defined in that to try to say to the young people in this country, you know, if you’re a person that is able to get admission to a school and college, cost should not be the barrier for it. And when you graduate, debt should not be a barrier for your ability to make a contribution to the country, to give something back to the community for all that it has given to you, and for something to give back to the nation. That kind of spirit is alive and well. It gets back to your earlier question about the state of our democracy. As long as that kind of spirit is out there, this country will be safe and secure.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

It was perhaps the first or second day, and my brother had been elected to the Congress. And he asked me whether I wanted a tour of Washington, and I welcomed the opportunity. And he brought me around to the House of Representatives; and brought me to the United States Senate; brought me over to the Supreme Court of the United States; pointed out the White House along with those magnificent monuments – the Lincoln . . . Washington Monument. But he gave advice to me then which has really stuck with me. I was probably 12 years old at the time, and he said, “Look. You’ll visit the buildings now. You’ll see these buildings. They’ll be . . .” But he said, “The really importance of this visit is that you take an interest in what happens inside these buildings for the rest of your life.” And I thought, “Well that’s a nice sort of idea, but you know, when are we gonna get hot dogs or something or other, or go to a baseball or a football game?” But the resonance of that message has stayed with me all of my life, and it was good advice at that time. And it’s advice that I share with . . . when young people come from Massachusetts and visit the Capitol. It’s the way . . . only way, really, our Democracy is gonna work is if people take the interest, take the time, involve themselves in the political life of our country. It’s enormously important.

Transcript: And they’ve been guiding for me in the United States Senate, where I’ve tried to enhance opportunities for individuals in the areas of education and healthcare; and also knocking down walls of discrimination that have been a part of our country and our society, written into the Constitution, and the founding fathers. And we fought the Civil War, and we had Dr. King, and we had the early 1960s where we began to knock down walls of discrimination on the basis of race, and gender, and ethnicity; and in more recent times on the issues of disability. And some progress made in knocking down walls of discrimination based upon people’s – whether they were gay or lesbians as well. We wanna try and free ourselves from the forms of discrimination and bigotry which exist in our nation. Though people are on the receiving end of that, but it is also those that are on the giving end should free themselves from that kind of bigotry. And it can’t be done just legislatively. It has to be done with the work of communities and with the works of churches. And that’s a continuing challenge.

Transcript: I’ve always believed that we are created in the images of God, and that the Bible teaches us in Matthew about feeding the hungry and giving to the . . . those that are thirsty, and clothing the naked, and visiting the . . . welcoming the stranger and visiting the imprisoned. And what Dr. King said about walking humbly, loving mercy, and doing justice. I think these words can be simple words, but they can also be guiding words.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript: Well my great inspirations in my life are sort of two forces. One was religion, which is very, very important – particularly for my mother and father, but also for the members of our family. And it’s been incredibly important in terms of my life, particularly facing some of the real challenging times that I’ve had to face – members of my family that have been lost and other kinds of tragedies. And also the role of family. We are a large . . . __________ large family. I was the youngest of nine, the last to come along. I sat at the little table on the side of the room; always had to battle to get my views across or to be able to express it; but I had extraordinary role models. My father, who was very ambitious for his children and was a great supporter; a mother who was the safe haven, devoted to her faith and also the love of history. And her children, my older brothers, who were great heroes of mine and who were inspiring figures all the way through my life; also demonstrated to me that the political process could work and could be responsive to people’s needs and challenges. My sisters who, in their own way, were not elected to any office, but also were very important in terms of their own commitment in expanding opportunity for people. My sister Eunice Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics now in 144 countries. They’re gonna be world-focused . . . in China in just a few weeks from now. My sister Jean who worked for very special arts programs, which has been so important in helping people with disabilities and also who are artists to work and collaborate together. And my other sisters. And I was also inspired by an older sister, Rosemary, who was mentally retarded. She was a very important figure in our family and she was very included. And I think from the earliest days I recognized the . . . that she was a rather special individual, and I can see how my mother and father, and how my brothers and sisters reacted to her. And I think it was probably an extraordinary force in my life about recognizing the value and the special grace that individuals have that have physical challenges – in this instance, mental retardation – and the importance of their value and what they could give to the family. And also the recognition that people out there in our society have special needs. And they . . . as a family, and as a country, and a society, we ought to be able to try and reach out to our fellow citizens and respond to those kinds of human needs.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

Well in some ways it’s altered. In some ways it’s changed. In other ways it’s remained the same. I think the programs change and times change, but values really don’t change. I mean people’s concern for other people; people’s understanding of what the Constitution is really about, and the Bill or Rights and their devotion to it. Maybe changes that we see a time where we see those rights may be threatened more than they have been at other times; but in the concern that I see on the floor of the United States Senate, among Democrats, among Republicans, there is a very still core understanding and awareness that America is just not a land, but it is a promise; and that each time and each generation has to fulfill the challenges of the time and the promise of America. I think when I first arrived in the United States Senate, it was primarily a knocking down walls of discrimination. We still have a ways to go, but we were looking then after passing Medicare, Medicaid, our education at that time. Now there are different challenges, both in terms of trying to protect Constitutional rights and still in terms of education and healthcare, and also in terms of how we can end war. So the issues themselves might change. The institution itself has altered and changed. Probably the most dramatic change has been sort of the power of money in politics. I’m a longstanding supporter of public financing. I think people ought to be accountable to their constituents and not accountable to the contributors. That’s still a battle that has to be worked through in the Congress. But I think there’s . . . but what is left now in terms of when I first arrived and now still is much more important than what divides us – what remains the same.

Transcript:

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

Well the overarching lesson was don’t go to war unless you’re imminently threatened. That’s don’t commit American troops to battle unless you have also a plan about how you’re going to bring the American troops back, and bring them back victoriously. We . . . And also the lesson is from the 9/11, is who attacked us in 9/11? And shouldn’t we give focus and attention on who attacked us, which was Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, rather than diverting our focus and attention off into a . . . into a different direction. This is the great foreign policy disaster of our time. And the final point I would make is that we are effectively outsourcing our national security and our foreign policy to Iraqi politicians. We are making an open-ended commitment that Americans are gonna stay there until they get their act together. I do not believe that we ought to commit American servicemen to have them lose their lives, shed their blood in the streets of Baghdad. I don’t think we ought to have an open-endedness in terms of the American tax payer ‘til the Iraqi politicians decide that they want to have reconciliation. Every military leader that has appeared before our committee . . . I’m on the Arms Services Committee and I’ve listened carefully to all of them – General Petraeus, General Casey, I’ve listened to them all. General Nash. I’ve listened to General _________ from Massachusetts – highly decorated Marine. And every one of them say that there’s not the military solution. You have to have military and reconciliation. We have not . . . The military has done everything it’s been asked to do for the last four and a half years. They’ve done it bravely. They’ve done it with courage. They’ve done it with valor. They deserve a policy that recognizes their courage and valor, and this administration does not have one.

Transcript: Well the answer is love. You get the question. No we have to . . . We have to have . . . We have to understand that we are a community. We have to understand we are a nation. We have to understand we are a world. And we are all part of a greater concept than generally we have time to think through. People are working too hard. They’re caring about their kids. They’re caring about their job. They’re caring about their parents. They’re caring about Boston Red Sox. They’re caring about other kinds of issues. But we are a community, and we have to understand that we, in this sense, have responsibilities. And we have to keep them . . . keep those front and center in our minds and hope that there are people all over the world that are understanding that, and that are going to help us try and make this a better place for all.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript: You don’t have to be a senator to make a difference. All you have to do is care. And I would hope that . . . And this is something which is enormously inspiring now, because when I go to schools and colleges, I find so many of the young people wanna be involved in helping to solve the problems – maybe not running for elected office, but trying to solve the problems. We’ve seen that in national magazines in recent times. And one of the very, very important parts of an education bill that we have just passed in the House and Senate, and the President will sign, will be loan forgiveness for students who generally have $20,000 of indebtedness when they graduate – some much more. But it will be loan forgiveness for those that wanna be involved in working in their community to help solve the problems. It may be as a teacher. It may be as a nurse. It may be as a prosecutor. It may be as a legal defender. It may be as a childcare worker. It may be working with special needs children. It may be working on an Indian reservation. We’ve been very broad in terms of what we have defined in that to try to say to the young people in this country, you know, if you’re a person that is able to get admission to a school and college, cost should not be the barrier for it. And when you graduate, debt should not be a barrier for your ability to make a contribution to the country, to give something back to the community for all that it has given to you, and for something to give back to the nation. That kind of spirit is alive and well. It gets back to your earlier question about the state of our democracy. As long as that kind of spirit is out there, this country will be safe and secure.

Transcript:

Well the large issues, I think, are how are we as a people, as individuals, states, country going to deal with the challenges of globalization over the period of the future? Are we gonna be driven out by these forces, or are we going to be willing to grasp them, and to shape them, and to turn them to our advantage? I think that’s the central challenge. And that means investing in people, investing in education skills, other kinds of issues or questions. And I think the follow-up answer to that is to understand the strength of the nation, which is our values. That’s when we’re . . . When we’re respected as a country, that’s what we’re respected for. Those are the values which are inscribed both in the declaration of independence, and also in the Constitution. Those are the values that were expressed in the . . . in the ship . . . the Mayflower, or the Mayflower Compact – about our sense of community and our value of being together. It’s described in the Constitution, the general welfare of our nation. That is when we have been at our best, and I think those are . . . That’s our greatest strength, the greatest challenge, I think is how we’re going to cope with the central challenges of a rapidly changing world. And I think the other great challenge is how we’re going to maintain this strength of sense of community, and value which has been such a compelling force in the shaping of our own lives, and also in shaping the lives of the nation.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

Well I don’t . . . I’m basically a hopeful and optimistic person, and I think there’s . . . In many respects, as long as Americans are gonna be involved and engaged, I don’t think it is ever . . . it will be broken. I think when it is really kind of threatened is when Americans lose interest, lose involvement, lose engagement. And it does seem to me this particular year – as we’re coming into the presidential year – the energy, and the liveliness, and the enthusiasm – particularly on our side, the Democratic side and the Democratic candidates – is very alive, and very well, and very involved. And I mean the polls reflect it, but all you have to do is see the turnouts of people that are turning out and involved and engaged. And I think that’s the most positive indicator in terms of the strength of our democracy. I think that that’s something that we have to gauge. I mean I don’t wanna extend this answer too long, but I remember very well when finally democracy came to South Africa, and there was a person that had been waiting in line, and a journalist inquired and said, “How long have you been waiting in line? And now you’re going to vote.” And he said, “I’ve been waiting in line for 78 hours.” Seventy-eight hours standing and waiting in line. And then the question . . . The journalist said, “Well how old are you?” And he says, “I’m 78 years old, and I’m gonna stay in line until I can vote.” We too frequently take the right to vote, and take our responsibilities – and I think it’s the responsibilities of leadership . . . of citizenship – we take them too much for granted. We’re in for sort of the ride and not for the work, and that I think is something we have to be reminded of.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript: Probably the most dramatic change has been sort of the power of money in politics. I’m a longstanding supporter of public financing. I think people ought to be accountable to their constituents and not accountable to the contributors. That’s still a battle that has to be worked through in the Congress.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

It was perhaps the first or second day, and my brother had been elected to the Congress. And he asked me whether I wanted a tour of Washington, and I welcomed the opportunity. And he brought me around to the House of Representatives; and brought me to the United States Senate; brought me over to the Supreme Court of the United States; pointed out the White House along with those magnificent monuments – the Lincoln . . . Washington Monument. But he gave advice to me then which has really stuck with me. I was probably 12 years old at the time, and he said, “Look. You’ll visit the buildings now. You’ll see these buildings. They’ll be . . .” But he said, “The really importance of this visit is that you take an interest in what happens inside these buildings for the rest of your life.” And I thought, “Well that’s a nice sort of idea, but you know, when are we gonna get hot dogs or something or other, or go to a baseball or a football game?” But the resonance of that message has stayed with me all of my life, and it was good advice at that time. And it’s advice that I share with . . . when young people come from Massachusetts and visit the Capitol. It’s the way . . . only way, really, our Democracy is gonna work is if people take the interest, take the time, involve themselves in the political life of our country. It’s enormously important.

Transcript: I’ve always believed that we are created in the images of God, and that the Bible teaches us in Matthew about feeding the hungry and giving to the . . . those that are thirsty, and clothing the naked, and visiting the . . . welcoming the stranger and visiting the imprisoned. And what Dr. King said about walking humbly, loving mercy, and doing justice. I think these words can be simple words, but they can also be guiding words. And they’ve been guiding for me in the United States Senate.

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript:

Well in some ways it’s altered.  In some ways it’s changed.  In other ways it’s remained the same.  I think the programs change and times change, but values really don’t change.  I mean people’s concern for other people; people’s understanding of what the Constitution is really about, and the Bill or Rights and their devotion to it.  Maybe changes that we see a time where we see those rights may be threatened more than they have been at other times; but in the concern that I see on the floor of the United States Senate, among Democrats, among Republicans, there is a very still core understanding and awareness that America is just not a land, but it is a promise; and that each time and each generation has to fulfill the challenges of the time and the promise of America.  I think when I first arrived in the United States Senate, it was primarily a knocking down walls of discrimination.  We still have a ways to go, but we were looking then after passing Medicare, Medicaid, our education at that time.  Now there are different challenges, both in terms of trying to protect Constitutional rights and still in terms of education and healthcare, and also in terms of how we can end war.  So the issues themselves might change.  The institution itself has altered and changed.  Probably the most dramatic change has been sort of the power of money in politics.  I’m a longstanding supporter of public financing.  I think people ought to be accountable to their constituents and not accountable to the contributors.  That’s still a battle that has to be worked through in the Congress.  But I think there’s . . . but what is left now in terms of when I first arrived and now still is much more important than what divides us – what remains the same.

Transcript:

Recorded On: 9/14/07

Transcript: Very well. I . . . It was perhaps the first or second day, and my brother had been elected to the Congress. And he asked me whether I wanted a tour of Washington, and I welcomed the opportunity. And he brought me around to the House of Representatives; and brought me to the United States Senate; brought me over to the Supreme Court of the United States; pointed out the White House along with those magnificent monuments – the Lincoln . . . Washington Monument. But he gave advice to me then which has really stuck with me. I was probably 12 years old at the time, and he said, “Look. You’ll visit the buildings now. You’ll see these buildings. They’ll be . . .” But he said, “The really importance of this visit is that you take an interest in what happens inside these buildings for the rest of your life.” And I thought, “Well that’s a nice sort of idea, but you know, when are we gonna get hot dogs or something or other, or go to a baseball or a football game?” But the resonance of that message has stayed with me all of my life, and it was good advice at that time. And it’s advice that I share with . . . when young people come from Massachusetts and visit the Capitol. It’s the way . . . only way, really, our Democracy is gonna work is if people take the interest, take the time, involve themselves in the political life of our country. It’s enormously important.Well that was a rather . . . an interesting time because the . . . my brother . . . one brother was President of the United States, and the other one was Attorney General of the United States. So there was a certain anticipation when I arrived in the . . . on the floor of the United States Senate. I was always thinking in my own mind, “Don’t mix it up, Teddy,” you know. And I learned very early that it was a time for learning and listening. And I listened a lot, and I learned a lot, and I have learned a lot, and continue to learn both from my colleagues who I respect and admire – some that I differ with, but I always learn; and from others that come and speak to the Senators, and hearings, and otherwise. But it was a humbling experience to say the least, but it was a memorable one and one that I won’t forget. Well in some ways it’s altered. In some ways it’s changed. In other ways it’s remained the same. I think the programs change and times change, but values really don’t change. I mean people’s concern for other people; people’s understanding of what the Constitution is really about, and the Bill or Rights and their devotion to it. Maybe changes that we see a time where we see those rights may be threatened more than they have been at other times; but in the concern that I see on the floor of the United States Senate, among Democrats, among Republicans, there is a very still core understanding and awareness that America is just not a land, but it is a promise; and that each time and each generation has to fulfill the challenges of the time and the promise of America. I think when I first arrived in the United States Senate, it was primarily a knocking down walls of discrimination. We still have a ways to go, but we were looking then after passing Medicare, Medicaid, our education at that time. Now there are different challenges, both in terms of trying to protect Constitutional rights and still in terms of education and healthcare, and also in terms of how we can end war. So the issues themselves might change. The institution itself has altered and changed. Probably the most dramatic change has been sort of the power of money in politics. I’m a longstanding supporter of public financing. I think people ought to be accountable to their constituents and not accountable to the contributors. That’s still a battle that has to be worked through in the Congress. But I think there’s . . . but what is left now in terms of when I first arrived and now still is much more important than what divides us – what remains the same.